Chess master returns home
Pete Karagianis gives tips to Mark Bills students – while blindfolded
Saturday, June 2, 2007
By Cathy Bayer
of the Journal StarPeoria – Pete Karagianis sat blindfolded in the Mark Bills Middle School library Friday, calculating his next sacrifice while surrounded by eighth-graders.
Josh Race, 14, sat quietly across from him, waiting for the next move.
“I want to play knight takes E-5, but I think you can escape,” said Karagianis, 23.
He moved anyway. Race lasted less than 10 minutes.
“Oh no, Josh,” he said to the boy with blond, ruffled hair.
Checkmate.
Karagianis spent time at the school playing chess with students during their scheduled gym class. Karagianis is a national master, named by the United States Chess Federation.
His mom, Judy Mannarelli, is the school librarian and chess club coach.
Karagianis learned to love chess when his father taught him at the age of 3.
Here is the full article.
Good job Pete!
The Chess Emporium was very lucky to have Pete as a coach last year. Great character and example for the children. Congratulations to Pete on the recent birth of his first child.